End-gate.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

o. B. RBYNGLDS.

BNDGATE. APPLIGATION FILED sEPT. 14, 190'3.

' N0 MODEL.

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m f., ./wf 0 me uonms verres co., mmmrmof igusuwston. n'c.

UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904:.

PATENT OFFICE.

END-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forrning'part of Letters Patent No. 757,680, dated April 19, 1904:.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER B. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in'End-Gates for Wagons, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in end-gates for wagons; and it consists, essentially, of a gate and a mechanism connected therewith for holding the gate in a horizontal position at different vertical elevations, so that it may form substantially a horizontal continuation of the bottom of the wagon-body or may be dropped to a point below said bottom and form a horizontal step or support onto which a barrel, box,

or other package or article may be received to facilitate the loading and unloading of the wagon.

A The inventionalso consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts, whichl will hereinafter describe and claim.

The object of the invention is to provide an end-gate which may be let down and held at any desired angle in the manner common to end-gates as now constructed and to provide a mechanism associated with such gate whereby the gate may be bodily dropped from a higher to a lower elevation and held in a position below the body of the wagon and nearer the ground to facilitate the loading and unloading of heavy articles.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which-similar letters of reference indicate like parts in both views, Figure l is a side elevation of the rear part of a wagon-body, showing the end-gate closed and showing by dotted lines the endgate open and assuming a horizontal position in two diiferent elevations. Fig. 2 is a partial rear view of Fig. l'omitting the link mechanism. l-

In carrying out my invention I employthe end-gate A in connection with any desired form of wagon-body B, which, it will be understood, will be mounted upon appropriate running-gear. (Not shown.) Upon opposite .sides of the wagon-body I bolt or otherwise secure the brackets or plates C, the rear ends Application filed September 14, 1903 Serial No. 17 3,130. (No model.)

of which are turned outwardly from said body and each of which is pierced to receive a pm or bolt a, which pivotally secures one end of a rod O', which when the end-gate is closed extends upwardly at an angle and has its rear end provided with a loose ring I) or eye adapted to receive the usual' chain or connection, which passes across the upper portion of the back of the end-gate, passing through guides or loops cv thereon in the manner which is well known. Each bar C is appropriately conned in its movements about the pivot-pin o and is prevented from springing sidewise by means of suitable guides formed by the Vbent rod or bar D, one of which is secured to each ofthe Vouter sides of the wagon-body.

, The end-gate, as show-n in Fig.v 2, is provided with suitable straps or plates E, the lower ends of which are formed with loops or eyes al, through which passes the transverse VArod F, and just below the end-gate and forming practicallya vertical continuation thereof when said gate is closed is a board or swinging section G, which extends from end to end of the gate A and has bolted or otherwise secured to it suitable transverse plates e, provided with upper loops or eyes f, lying alongside of and in line with the Aloops or eyes d, before mentioned, and adapted to receive the aforesaid transverse rod F. The plates c on the swinging section Gr are also provided Vat their lower portions with loops or eyes g, land through these passes a second transverse rod H, which is below and parallel with the rod F, as shown in Fig. 2, said rod H having its ends mounted in lugs h, projecting Vfrom the rear middle portions of suitable fixed supports I, depending vertically from the bottom of the rear end of the wagon-body 'and appropriately held by a brace J extending from the lower portion upwardly and forwardly at an angle and bolted to the bottom of the, wagon-body. The front faces of the supports I stand approximately vertically in linel with the end of the wagon-'body and the inner face of the end-gate'when the latter is closed, and said outer faces of the supports ofer a firm bearing for the Vswinging section G in either 'position of the latter, as I will now describe. The end-gate A is designed IOO to swing about the rod F and to be let down from a vertical to a horizontal position, as shown by the dotted lines K, and any position between the vertical and horizontal by loosening or releasing the usual back chain or connection, and the swinging section G is adapted to turn about the transverse rod H through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, or from the full-line position of Fig. 1 to the dotted position shown in said figure, carrying the end-gate with it, said section at the completion of said downwardly swinging movement coming at rest against the front faces of the supports I, which latter form a rigid support for the section and for the endgate carried thereby, which latter is now permitted by the paying out of the back chain or connection to turn about the rod F, which occupies the dotted position shown in Fig. 1, and assume the lower dotted position of Fig. 1, this position representing an elevation lower than that represented by the dotted iirst'position and such elevation relative to the ground line and bottom of the wagon-body that barrels, boxes, or other heavy packages or articles may be more conveniently handled than heretofore.

In connection with the foregoing I employ a latching mechanism for holding the parts in their closed or lowered position, this mechanism being alike at both sides of the wagonbody and herein shown as consisting of a hook member M, pivoted at c' and having its front end to hook over the outer end of the rod F when the end-gate is closed and the parts have assumed the full-line position of Fig. 1, and a second hook member N, pivoted at j and having its front end to hook over the end of the rod F when the gate and swinging section are lowered to assume the dotted position of AFig. '1, ythese hook members or latches being so connected by a rod O that said hook members or latches are raised and lowered about their pivotal connections in unison. rllhe lower end of the rod C", pivotally connected to the outer end of the rod C', has an eye n to receive the rod F, whereby when the latch M is raised to release the rod the end-gate and swinging member may be let down into the dotted position shown, the rod` C also moving down and carrying the rod C with it until the parts assume substantially the positions shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the end-gate and section are in this ,said lowered position, the latch N may be brought into engagement with the rod F to hold the parts in this new position. To return the parts to normal position, the latch N is lifted from its engagement with the rod, and the endgate and swinging section are first moved about the rod H, and then the end-gate is moved about the rod F, the parts thus again assuming the full-line position of Fig. 1.

It will be understood that although I have described the Vgate as occupying vertical (closed) and horizontal (open) positions any inclined position between the vertical and horizontal may be given the gate by the ordinary adjustment of the back chain or connection which suspends the gate from the rear end of the rods C', and while the drawings show but one side of the wagonbody and the description refers to the parts illustrated thereon it will be readily understood that the rods C' and C and their adjuncts and the latching mechanism are duplicated upon the opposite side of the wagon-body and that the rod F projects at both ends, so that it may be engaged by the latches, as before described.

The supports I may be arranged at each end and also at themiddle portions of the rear of the wagon-body, and, if necessary, hooks may be used at the middle portions to assist in holding such portions when the gate is lowered to the dotted position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#

1. An end-gate for vehicles capable of opening and closing about an axis which is substantially in the planeof the bottom of the wagonbody, and a member connected to the gate and pivotally mounted at a point below the same and the vehicle-body, and capable of swinging about its pivotal center to lower the gate so that the axis about which it opens and closes is lowered to a plane below the wagon-body.

2. An end-gate for vehicles capable of opening and closing about an axis which is substantially in the plane of the bottomof the vehicle, and means connected to the end-gate and pivotally mounted below the same and movable about its axis to lower the gate substantially edgewise until the plane of the lirst-named axis is lowered to a point below the vehiclebody and below the axis of said connecting means.

3. An end-gate and a rod extending across the lower portion thereof insubstantially the plane of the bottom of the vehicle-body and about which rod the gate may open and close, and a section carrying said rod and gate and hingedly mountedbelow said section capable of swinging about its hinged connection to lower thev lower portion'of the gate and the rod to a point below the bottom of the vehicle-body, and said gate capable of swinging about the rod in said lowered position whereby it may be supported substantially horizontally at a point below the vehicle-body.

4:. The combination with a wagon-body, of an end-gate therefor; a rod extending across the lower portion of the same; a section below and standing in line with the gate and pivotally mounted at its lower portion', said gate capable of swinging about said rod to allow the gate to open in substantially the plane of the body of the wagon, and said section carrying said gate and rod and capable of swinging from a' point above its pivotal center to a IOO IIO

Y point below the same, whereby the gate may be held at diderent vertical elevations.

5. The combination with a wagon-body, of an end-gate therefor; a pivot-rod extending across the lower portion of the same; a section below normally in line with the gate and pivotally secured at its lower portion whereby it may swing from a point above its pivotal center to a point below the same, and carry the gate and its axial rod-with it to allow the gate to open about the rod from a point which is below the wagon -body; and means for holding the swinging section in either of its positions.

6. The combination with a wagon-body, of an end-gate therefor; a rod extending across the lower portion of the same; a section below and in line with the gate, when the latter is closed; a rod parallel with the first-named rod and upon which the section is turnable, said section pivotally connected to the firstnamed rod and capable of turning from a point above the second-named rod to a point below the same; and a latching mechanism comprising hook members adapted to engage the firstnamed rod in its several positions and thereby hold the parts in place.

7. The combination with a wagon-body, of

' an end-gate therefor; a rod extending across the lower portion of the same; a section below and in line with the gate, when the latter is closed; a second rod below and parallel with the first rod, said section pivotally mounted on said second rod and capable of swinging from a point above to a point below the same; latching mechanism for the swinging section in either ofl its positions; and jointed-rod connections between the first-named rod and the Wagon-body. A

8. The combination with the wagon-body andthe pivoted end-gate thereof, of a swinging member below and normally in line with said gate and capable of swinging from a point above its pivot to a point below the same, latching devices for the swinging member and consisting of upper and lower hook members and a connection therebetween; a support against which the swinging member abuts in either of its positions; and jointed rods on the sides of the wagon-body, one of which is pivoted -to said bod,T and the other is mounted upon the axis of the end-gate said jointed rods having a connection for the end-gate chain.

9. In a wagon, an end-gate and means whereby the same may be held supported substantially in the plane of the body of the wagonbody and at points below the plane of said body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

OLIVER B. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

THos. J. RUsH'roN,

GRACE E. RUsHToN. 

